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Vengeance demon
or justice demon was a society of powerful demons originating from the dimension Arashmaharr, who had the power of granting wishes of vengeful intent. Their ranks were gathered by D'Hoffryn, who sought out women who exacted curses on those who have done them harm. They were immortal beings who traveled the world exacting curses on behalf of their victims, such as wronged or scorned women and even abused children. Characteristics Vengeance demons appointed by D'Hoffryn resemble humanoid demons with the appearance of heavily wrinkled or decaying skin. They could choose to appear in their true forms to intimidate their victims, or they could modify their appearance to that of a normal human to facilitate interaction with their target clients. According to D'Hoffryn, vengeance demons retain a soul, although whether their souls were similar to human souls or different altogether was never mentioned."Selfless" In Arashmaharr, the appearance of the demons working in the vengeance fold varied. This suggests that vengeance demons are not a race, but a title. D'Hoffryn himself identifies as a vengeance demon. Mission Vengeance demons traveled the world exacting vengeance on behalf of victims. Their typical method was to appear to a wronged person, in human form, and encourage them to vent their frustration about those who have hurt them. The moment the object of the demon's attention expresses their preferred method of punishment in the form of a wish, the vengeance demon could cause his or her wish to come true, whether it required gruesome dismemberment or even the creation of a new alternate universe."The Wish" Although vengeance demons' mission in as a whole was to bring forth "destruction and chaos for the pleasure of the Lower Beings", each individual had her own priorities and specialties, such as scorned women or neglected children. Some vengeance demons did not believe their mission was evil at all, and described themselves instead as "justice demons," a term which carries less stigma than "vengeance demons"."Older and Far Away" In a manner, vengeance demons were somewhat similar to the classic depictions of genies, as they'd obey the exact wording of the wish, but do not give the wish-maker what they wanted. For example, when Cordelia Chase wished to Anyanka that Buffy Summers had never come to Sunnydale, Anyanka instead altered history so that the Order of Aurelius ruled Sunnydale with an iron fist, as Buffy was not there to oppose them. Similarly, when Dawn Summers wished to Halfrek that no one would leave her, it instead resulted in anyone and everyone who entered the Summers' residence being mystically trapped inside the house and unable to leave the premises, Halfrek herself included (which was used to force her to undo the wish). Origins D'Hoffryn created vengeance demons by appearing to humans who have exacted notable revenge on their loved ones, and transforming them into demons. These humans were generally females, and D'Hoffryn typically chose those who already had decent magical aptitude, as they generally made the best vengeance demons. He created Anyanka, Patron Saint of the Women Scorned, by this process, but failed to convert Willow Rosenberg. The recruitment process was a polite one, and the women had the option of declining the offer. D'Hoffryn also created Malice, the Unforgiving One and Halfrek. When this occurred, D'Hoffryn granted them a talisman which they could use to summon him, should they change their mind at a later date."Something Blue" According to Anya, they had for custom to wear a traditional blood larva and burlap dress."Hell's Bells" Working environment Despite the severity of the vengeance they inflicted, vengeance demons were humorously implied to be the white-collar workers of the demon world. Throwaway comments by Anya, Halfrek, D'Hoffryn all suggested an office-like setting, where demons related their stories of vengeance and gossip to each other."Lessons" Those statements are completely true. In Arashmaharr, the headquarters of the vengeance demons is an office building called Vengeance L.L.C which resembles a setting not too different from Wolfram & Hart. There were rules that governed the vengeance demons and the wishes they granted and on the terms of their performance. When Anya took back a wish she granted, she was punished by having to file a flight plan whenever she wished to teleport."Same Time, Same Place" When Anya wished to reverse her actions that resulted in the death of a dozen fratmen, D'Hoffryn reiterated that such a reversal would require the life and soul of a vengeance demon to appease the Fates. Such wish of Anyanka caused her to be removed by D'Hoffryn from the ranks of his vengeance demons, as Anyanka had shown weakness and reluctance to continue her mission for vengeance. D'Hoffryn was also most vengeful upon his perception of Anya's weakness, and not only denied Anya the easy death she asked for, he also specifically chose her best friend Halfrek to die instead to reverse Anya's work. D'Hoffryn later sent a demon to assassinate Anya."Him" Powers and abilities Wish-granting: Vengeance demons had the ability to grant wishes of vengeance; this power was derived from the amulets they wore around their necks. However, they cannot grant their own wishes or those of another vengeance demon. The resulting effects of the wishes they grant are quite powerful (able to create alternate timelines, if necessary, as precisely what happened when Cordelia made a wish to Anya), since Anya claimed that only the vengeance demon responsible for granting the wish can undo it; and if the wish happens to have been stated specifically enough, even vengeance demons are not exempt from the effects of the wish once granted, as seen when Halfrek failed to teleport away after entering a house affected by a wish (that she herself granted) that prevents people inside from leaving it. Apart from that, if their amulet was destroyed, their wishes could be undone and they became mortal again. Vengeance demons also appeared to have the ability to summon their amulets, as Anyanka was seen wearing her amulet moments after being summoned by Giles, who had it up until that point. This would explain why Anya was not concerned with losing her power center when giving it to Cordelia. Shapeshifting: Vengeance demons could transform into a frightening demonic form from human form, in which their faces appeared to be skinless with exposed veins. Immortality: Vengeance demons could live for thousands of years and remain ageless. Superhuman durability: Vengeance demons could resist a degree of damage without being harmed by it, at least to extent that both Halfrek and Anya have both been struck with a sword to the chest and survived before removing the sword and recovering immediately. Super strength: As a vengeance demon, Anya was able to knock opponents several meters away and lift individuals larger than her (such as Giles). She could also battle powerful beings such as the Slayer, possessing enough strength and endurance to rival her own. Teleportation: One of vengeance demon's most notable features was their impressive ability to teleport in a whirl of energy at long distances to any place, any where, instantly. This was more efficient than other forms of magical transportation (such as Willow's storm-based flight) as it could reach destinations faster at the cost of being less visually impressive. Teleportation for vengeance demons was, however, limited as Anya could only teleport herself and not others and was forced to file a fight plan every time she teleported as punishment for her lack for mutilations. Telekinesis: One vengeance demon, Halfrek, has at least once shown the ability of telekinesis by pushing Anya away by pointing at her. Voice manipulation: Both Halfrek and Anyanka have once appeared to have altered their voice to make them sound more threatening. Empathy: Vengeance demons have shown to have possessed some empathic abilities. This was mainly used to sought out their wronged person, feeling their pain as if it was their own. They could sense when people had vengeful feelings in their souls,"Villains" and can identify whether creatures have souls or not by simple contact, or merely by observing them at close range; this is very useful when distinguishing normal people from soulless beings, like Vampires."Beneath You" Anya felt Willow's pain after losing Tara Maclay and used this to track her down. Anya could also sense that Spike had gained a soul via simple contact. Mind-control immunity: Anya has claimed that they are immune to the form of mind control used by witches. However, Willow was powerful enough to mind control Anya into freeing her from a binding spell by telepathically communicating with her. Energy projection: Vengeance demons have the power to shoot energy blasts capable of hurting people. Vengeance demons were seen with hands glowing with energy behind D'Hoffryn and Anya was able to fire a blast at D'Hoffryn but because he was so powerful he barely felt it. Flight: A group of vengeance demons were seen flying behind D'Hoffryn when they were preparing to attack Buffy and her friends. Notable vengeance demons *Anyanka — specialized in granting the wishes of wronged or scorned women. *Halfrek — specialized in granting the wishes of neglected or abused children. *Malice — specialized in granting people their dying wish.Go Ask Malice *Anya (copy) *Jonathan (copy) *D'Hoffryn — the employer/master of all vengeance demons. Appearances Canonical Other *''The Willow Files, Volume 2'' *''Go Ask Malice'' *''Slayer'' *''Chosen'' References Category:Demon species